


Changeling Child

by RyuuSiren7



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Existential Crisis, Fluff and Angst, Humor, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Gloria (Pokemon), POV Third Person, Parody, Pokemon, Pokemon Journey, Rose gets his due, Sarcasm, Self-Insert, agent of karma!main character, gotta adopt them all, taking advantage of game mechanics, tbh it's all but a
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:13:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24427804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RyuuSiren7/pseuds/RyuuSiren7
Summary: If they had been asked to pick a Pokémon region to wake up in, they would have chosen Sinnoh. Interesting history, nice climate, the BEST Pokémon, in their opinion, and the world of the first game they had ever played.What they would not have said was “Galar.” That was probably near the very end of regions and eras they would have chosen. Unfortunately, when they wake up to everyone calling them “Gloria” and claiming they’re a “she,” they see that fate had other plans.
Relationships: Beet | Bede & Hop & Mary | Marnie & Yuuri | Gloria, Beet | Bede & Yuuri | Gloria, Hop & Yuuri | Gloria, Mary | Marnie & Yuuri | Gloria
Comments: 13
Kudos: 71





	1. They'd like to go back to sleep, please

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have wanted to write a self-insert since I first opened up Pokémon Pearl on my DSlite many years ago. I have not, because it seemed cringey.
> 
> Fuck it. Cringe culture is dead and I’m allowed to write crack if I want to. Let the projecting, self-inserting, nonsense commence. Also, there are only nine pages with stories tagged “self insert” in the entire Pokémon archive? Which is wack. And I hold a personal hatred for the “You” pronoun choice, which the majority of them are. So I’ll just make my own.
> 
> Based on the games cause my dumb ass has things to say and also never watched the anime or read the manga.

If they had been asked to pick a Pokémon region to wake up in, they would have chosen Sinnoh. Interesting history, enjoyable and diverse climate, the BEST Pokémon, in their opinion, and the world of the first game they had ever played.

If they couldn’t get Sinnoh, they might have said Unova, simply because they were used to overwhelming displays of capitalism and also they might have a chance to meet N. Or maybe the Johto/Kanto region areas, since they had some pretty boss Pokémon and local history, too.

What they would not have said was “Galar.” That was probably near the very end of regions and eras they would have chosen. Unfortunately, when they wake up to everyone calling them “Gloria” and claiming they’re a “she,” they see that fate had other plans.

Well, at least they have a pretty recent memory of the plot. Time to make some corrections, starting with this whole naming business. And then, they’ll adopt everyone. Well, not Rose. Oh no, they have plans for Rose.

...Was it possible to be arrested for murder in the Pokémon universe?

Probably.

Eh, they’d workshop it. 

* * *

As fae opens their eyes after falling asleep on their laptop, their first thought is a simple but to the point: “Bitch, what the  _ fuck _ .”

Sometimes, when someone just wakes up, they can be excused for not noticing certain things immediately. This fact has served for the basis of pranks, guerrilla warfare, and the like for centuries. Some things are not so easily dismissed. Like the fact that the bed is different and the pillows are different and the room is different and

Holy  _ fuck _ their body is also different. 

On one hand, they can breathe without feeling like an elephant lives on their chest, and the constant ache rooted in their joints and spine and head is  _ gone _ .

On the other hand,  _ it’s not their body. _ And after over twenty years, they had been rather attached. Literally. In every way. 

Well, nothing to do about it at the moment.

Fae stands, mind already swirling in that way that’s both incredibly hyper-active and also full of confused cotton. First things first. Change into real, functional clothes, and then find out where the fuck they’re supposed to be and how to get home.

Halfway to the closet, they get distracted by the sight of their reflection in a floor-length mirror hung against the closet door. That is… fucking weird. 

And also really familiar.

Hold the fuck up.

Nah. No way. It had to be a coincidence, right? 

Opening the closet did not assuage their fears. Rather the opposite, really. Each outfit consisted of a pink skirt and grey cashmere-look alike sweater. First off - who the hell can afford that much cashmere? It’s gotta be something else. Secondly, skirts? Big no. That’ll have to be dealt with.

Third? The design is very familiar. Much like the set up of a certain Pokémon game they had played recently. Fourth? Only an anime character could have so many matching outfits.

With new desperation, the damnable but admittedly soft jumper was tugged on over a sports bra, which would have to do until they could get a binder. (Was it even safe to wear a binder in a world where you could find yourself running from Pokémon at any second? Damn.)

The skirts were removed and kicked under the bed, and a pair of faded and ripped jeans were found at the bottom of a drawer that looked like it hadn’t seen the light of day in several years.

It would have to do.

Immediate emergency sorted, fae crept out of the room as carefully and quietly as they could, keeping a careful eye out for NPC mothers and supposedly best friends, which they had no memory of. Maybe they could…? Hmm. That was an idea. Well, in any case. That was a problem for later.

Possibly much later, seeing as all their attention was suddenly focused on the very real, very _ alive _ Munchlax sitting in the middle of their living room.

Well. Fuck.

* * *

After a good deal of time wasted hyperventilating in the now cleaned out closet, their priorities had been sorted. 

Before anything else happened, they  _ needed  _ to get a Pokémon of their own. In this world, anything was possible if you had a Pokémon and determination. And they had spite, which was basically the same thing.

From there… it would be time to exit the closet. The metaphorical closet, that is. They had never come out to their family back home - and never planned to - but here? With family that is essentially a stranger and a world full of magic thinly disguised as science?

Yeah, no, they’re getting called by the right pronouns even if fae has to Close Combat it into people. And if they’re kicked out… well, that’ll suck, but all they’ll really be losing is a bunch of unwanted skirts and a woman they haven’t known. Pokémon battles and centers would be enough to get them by. It would be worth it.

Maybe if fae said it enough times, they would even believe it.

Before they could spiral down that trainwreck of a thought process, the distant sound of the front door slamming reached their ears. 

“Hello? Gloria?”

Eugh. That name would take some getting used to. Also, who the fuck was that?

Curse you, games, for not having any vocal audio for speech. And curse you, past self, for not watching any of the fucking anime.

“Coming! Just a second!”

Wow, their voice was high pitched.

They’d work on that, too. Eventually. As soon as the to-do list stopped growing.

Shoving that thought to the side, fae hurried through the rooms - and where were the doors? - to come face-to-face with none other than Hop. 

Thank fuck it was only Hop.

Sweet summer child, fae hopes he’ll still like them by the end of the day, because they want to adopt him and possibly help him get therapy. Or at least a flock of wooloo.

Who knows what the mental health services were like in this world. 

Big yikes.

“There you are! Did you see Leon’s match? It was super awesome!”

Right. Match. Exhibition match, maybe? Against Raihan? Who the hell knows, not them.

“Oh shit, sorry. I overslept!” Before fae can dig a hole for themself to lie in, they catch sight of Hop’s wide-eyed expression. The poor boy looks like he just saw a ghost. Or maybe he’d be less shocked if he did, considering ghost-type Pokémon were apparently a thing that existed now.

“Y-You cursed?!”

Oh.

Well, strike one for Plan “Act Natural.” 

“Ah, sorry! I just can’t believe I forgot, sorry Hop…”

The trainer-to-be relaxes, grinning in a way that nearly sends fae into cardiac arrest and brings into them an incredible desire for sunglasses. This level of adorable should be illegal, what the hell. 

“It’s okay! I’ve got it recorded at home, so you can come watch it with me some time!”

Sweet summer child, precious cinnamon roll, too good for this world, too pure.

But before any coherent thoughts can pierce the fog in their head, the boy finally remembers why he had come to his supposed best friend’s house in the first place. “Oh, that’s right! Leon’s on his way back. Come with me, Gloria! He should be here any minute!”

That name has got to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: discussion of topics such as coming out, possible family abandonment, implied body dysphoria, a fair amount of cussing
> 
> AN: I’ve played through pretty much the entirety of Shield - though I haven’t finished my Pokédex or bought any of the DLCs - and am writing this as I play my way through Sword. Fun fact, I went with Victor for Shield, but I might use Gloria for Sword? The struggles of the nonbinary (wHERE’S MY ANDROGYNOUS OPTION, NINTENDO?)
> 
> But since this is a mess of self-insert and projecting, ya’ll are getting a Gloria base for the fic. Not that it matters, but, ya know. Also: why does Rose do the intro for this game? Bring back the Professor intros damnit, I hate this man.
> 
> Anyway, thoughts, comments, suggestions? Which Pokémon do you want to see? Which characters do you like best? I’m all ears. Also: Author likes kudos like Pokémon like poffins.


	2. Uh... Will you choose me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logically, fae knew that the baby Galar Pokémon were pretty damn cute 
> 
> Realistically, they were in no way prepared.
> 
> Forget Rose, mystical wolves, eldritch dragons, and Dynamaxing - between baby Pokémon and Hop, they were gonna die from cuteness before their first day in this world was up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to everyone who kudo’d and commented, and big shoutout to my fellow non-binary crowd!!! Love y’all bitches. 
> 
> Also, real question - do y’all have any particular characters or Pokémon you’d like to see featured? Cause yeah this is mostly based on my playthroughs and thoughts but man I’m just winging it. 
> 
> We’re here for subpar crack content, people. Don’t expect much more than you would from a Marvel film. Which is to say, witty and not-so witty one liners and not much else. 
> 
> Now that I’ve pissed off at least one person, on with the nonsense.

Shortly after the invite to go see the Champion’s return, Hope ran out of the house with some vague instructions. Which, alright, thank you NPC. Is he an NPC if this is their world now?

(They really don’t want it to be their world now. They want to go _home_.)

“Honey? Are you alright?”

The flinch could have been for several reasons, such as the ‘honey’ in an unfamiliar voice, or the interruption to their thoughts, or that there was indeed an unknown voice coming from right behind them.

Fae spun around only to freeze in surprise. Oh.

Right.

This was… their mom. Their not-mother. 

Fuck.

“Sweetie? What’s wrong?”

They smiled, doing their best to hide its tremble and the sudden burn in their eyes. This was unfair. This was so, so unfair. What the hell was going on?

“I’m fine! Sorry, slept late and still waking up. Um, I should go meet Hop-”

“Wait!” Fae froze, hand on the doorknob as their mother rushed into their room and returned with a green cap and a bag. “Here you are! Don’t forget these, alright?” They nod mutely, their throat too tight to try speaking.

Their not-mother looks so worried, but they can’t speak. What would they say even if they could? Hi, I’m not your daughter, I’m just someone from another world who took over her body for a bit. And also isn’t a girl at all, and is much older than you think.

Their not-mother doesn’t speak, just frowning with concern even as she tries to smile and brings them in for a hug.

It’s… nice.

Damn being touch starved.

“I know it’s just a short walk, but stay safe, alright? I’ll see you later. Love you.”

They nod.

“Bye, mum. ...Later!”

The door swings open and shut as fae runs out. They don’t think their smile has ever looked so fake.

And considering fae survived public school and over twenty years living in a queerphobic household, that says a lot 

* * *

The green cap is immediately stuffed into their bag as they head down the walkway towards a waving Hop. Hats just aren’t their thing, and they’ll be damned if they don’t get to a Hair Salon and Outfit shop as soon as they can.

On the plus side, it looks like their arrival into this world was good timing. Leon’s return, the conversations with Hop and their not-mother… it should be just the start of the game. They’ve played it, they know the major plot points. This is fine. It’s gonna be fine.

Maybe they can even punch Rose in the face at some point. That’d be nice.

Fae grins at Hop as they catch up, trying to push their thoughts aside as the soon-to-be trainer playfully teases and chats with them. Breakdowns can happen later, meeting Champions and getting their hands on some Pokémon and a sweet, sweet League endorsement need to happen first. 

They do feel a little bad about leaving the poor Wooloo to continue tackling the fence, but, well. Plot points must, and all that.

Also: was Hop’s house always that big? Because holy fuck, at least three of their current ones could fit inside it. Probably more. Definitely more.

Before their brain can finish processing, Hop is already dragging fae back outside. Right, Leon of the horrible directions needs to be retrieved by… eleven-year-olds? Fourteen-year-olds? Fae has no idea how old they’re supposed to be, but damn are they short. 

Again, less than fortunate.

The stroll to the station takes only a few minutes, with Hop keeping pace and chattering as they walk. Which is… nice. Fae had been majorly concerned that he’d challenge them to a race only to stop midway in true NPC fashion. Though the road is even straighter and shorter than they’d realized. 

How in the name of Arceus did Leon have this bad a sense of direction? And fae thought _they_ were bad.

Speaking of Leon, his outfit is even uglier in person. Where is his PR manager, they just want to talk. 

...Then again, maybe his manager is Oleanna? Or Rose. Which. Would explain a lot. (They were _not_ looking forward to seeing that hideous tracksuit in real life.)

Though the infamous “Charizard Pose” does not help matters, either.

“You must be Gloria, right?”

Oh shit, plot was happening while fae was lost in thought. Damn the continuous progression of time.

“Uh, yeah, that’s me. It’s nice to meet Hop’s brother!”

The older man blinked, for some reason seeming surprised. Did he… not expect a response? Were they supposed to have already met? Fuck, were they known as mute? The player character may not have spoken much, but like hell was fae going to _not_ talk for the rest of their life.

“Of course! It’s only natural that you’d want to meet the Galar region’s greatest-ever Pokémon Champion and Charizard fan!” Leon grinned, hands-on-hips and winking as the truly wild purple hair swayed in a seemingly non-existent breeze. Which was weird, but they could roll with it.

What they couldn’t roll with was whatever the fuck that little speech was. Especially the condescending and yet still self-deprecating tone of it.

“Dunno ‘bout you, but I don’t think I mentioned meeting anyone like that, Mr. Hop’s Brother Sir. Charizard _are_ pretty cool though, I’ll give you that. Big hell yeah to fire types.”

Poor Hop looked torn between amused and mortified. Sorry, Hop. Leon, meanwhile, blinked even harder before finally throwing back his head and laughing just as the awkward tension reached its peak. “Fair enough! How about we all get home and continue introductions there?”

“Bet I can beat you back!” Aaaand Hop was gone, a purple speck in the distance. Farewell, sweet cinnamon roll. Just because this body doesn’t have asthma doesn’t mean that they suddenly like running.

Also, weren’t they supposed to make sure Leon didn’t get lost? Hop, baby, sweetheart, what are you doing. 

Well, if Leon’s own little brother sees no need to stick around…..

Fae left before Leon, though it didn’t matter much. The crowd burst out into cheers moments before Leon passed them, cape waving dramatically in the breeze and no doubt being an incredibly annoying force of drag that slowed the champion down.

Edna Mode would _not_ approve, Leon. For shame.

They did pick up their pace, though, arriving just a couple minutes after the siblings. Fae was sure they could use the time to catch up, anyway.

“There you are, Gloria! Took you long enough, ahahaha!”

You may be adorable but don’t push your luck, Hop. 

“Great! Now that we’re all here, I have something for both of you!” The younger boy next to them just about vibrated out of his skin in excitement. “This is it, the most important duty of a Galar champion - helping trainers pick a starter Pokémon!”

And goddamn were they even cuter in real life.

“Go on - you pick first.” They turned to stare at Hop, tilting their head in surprise. “Go on! I already have my Wooloo, after all. It’s only fair that you get first pick!”

The smile that makes its way across their face was uninvited, but not unwelcome. “Thank you, Hop. I really appreciate it.”

Fae turned towards the starters, kneeling down to be closer to their level.

Now only one tiny problem - which one to pick?

Scorbunny had been their choice first time around, partially because they loved fire types and partially because he was an adorable Pokémon. They had chosen Soble in their second playthrough, largely just based on its design and also a distaste of most grass types. Though he was supposed to be a very adaptable Pokémon…

They sighed, resisting the urge to cradle their head. Ugh. Fuck this. Maybe… fae could get them to choose?

“Hey there, friends.” The Pokémon perked up as fae speaks, immediately crowding closer. They couldn’t help but smile wider - the young starters are just too _fucking cute._ “I wanted to ask - do any of you want to be my starter? It’s going to be rough, I’m warning you now.

A lot of walking, a lot of battling, a lot of travel and going to new places and meeting new people. But I’ll never force you to do something you don’t want, and I’ll always stand by your side as your partner, like how you’ll stand by mine. Even if that means deciding battling isn’t for you, and you’d really just rather lay around and sleep all day. Which, I mean, relatable.”

The Pokémon blinked up at them, and fae felt incredibly awkward for a moment as the three do nothing but stare. Right when fae was considering digging their way to Hoenn, the starter Pokémon huddle together, quiet whispers and growls drifting from the group.

When they split, it’s Sobble who climbed into their lap, nuzzling into their palm when fae tentatively reaches out towards them.

“What do you say, then? Do you choose me?”

The Sobble nodded. Fae grinned back.

“Welcome to the team, Sobble. Would you like a nickname?”

The little Pokémon nodded again, like the world’s most clingy bobble-head.

“Then… Isao? No… Hotaru… Hisoka…. Kenji! Do you like Kenji? It’s written with the characters for ‘intelligent ruler.’” (Thank you, years spent writing fanfiction and scrolling through baby names websites.)

Fae would have bet that a Sobble’s smile could never outshine Hop’s.

Fae would have been wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Help I wrote this on mobile
> 
> Comments and Kudos will make the author smile more than Soble and Hop combined


End file.
